We Will Rock You!

Throughout this semester, I participated in an Intergenerational Choir as part of my Music in Special Education class. Each week, I traveled thirty minutes north of campus to sing with residents of an assisted living facility. The weekly rehearsals culminated in a performance of songs from many different decades at the local senior center. I was given the opportunity to lead songs, but gained the most from simply speaking with the choir members. Prior to this experience, the only opportunities that I had interacting with older adults outside of my family were in hospice and through a conducting class at the senior center, which didn't allow for much communication. I was surprised at how easy the conversation flowed between members of the choir and myself. I learned a lot about the lives of some of the choir members and I really grew to love them. Seeing them perform songs from both their youth and from mine was a really neat experience because it kind of bridged the gap between our generations and gave us a foundation on which we could connect with each other through music. I think this is very beneficial for both the seniors and the younger adults because as we age, we tend to become isolated and lose connections with younger people especially if we lose the ability to drive. I know that I personally benefitted from getting to know the older adults. We never think about older people as having once been young, but hearing their stories and realizing that they were in our shoes once was really important for me. Having an opportunity like this was an amazing experience and made me realize how much I love and respect older people.